You Can't Change the Past
by hoggy-warty
Summary: ..:Spoilers for up to Harry Potter and the HalfBlood Prince:.. Tonks is with Remus now, right? What about Remus and Sirius? Story about RemusSirius but how it became RemusTonks...because after all, you can't change the past...
1. New Professor Moony

One summer evening, a grey-haired, tired-looking sort of man walked through the busy streets of London, apparently looking for something that wasn't there. He looked up, down, and sideways, sometimes picking up his pace, sometimes slowing down. Normally people would have glanced at this suspicious behavior, but today no one was paying attention.

Today, an announcement was made about a notorious criminal by the name of Sirius Black. He had escaped from a well-guarded prison and was currently on the run, heavily armed.

People were rushing home in hopes of getting to their destination safely, but this funny man with grey hair, in an odd variety of clothes, suddenly broke into a run down a crooked alley. Hastily, he drank a strange liquid from a glass bottle and sank to his knees.

"Why, hello Remus. It has been quite a while, hasn't it?"

The man jumped to his feet and spun around.

"Professor Dumbledore…"

This newly addressed character, Dumbledore, was even odder-looking than the first man, Remus. He had a purple cloak around his shoulders. His face was calm and pleasant, with half-moon spectacles and a long, crooked nose. He also had a very long, white beard.

"I'd have thought you would have Apparated to the Shrieking Shack tonight, Remus. It would have been the wisest thing to do."

"But you see, Professor--"

"You are no longer in school, Remus. Please call me Albus."

"Yes…Albus. You see, this morning I got the Wolfsbane Potion, ready to make my journey to Hogsmeade. I was passing by a muggle home when I heard…I heard the name 'Sirius Black.' I paused and saw h-his picture on a small screen. It made me want to…to find him.

"You remember whathe did to Lily and James Potter that night, Albus?"

Remus looked, if possible, even more tired and sad. His eyes were glowing in a fierce light, however.

Albus Dumbledore looked at him sharply.

"You must not go about seeking revenge, Remus. Especially tonight. You must never forget to take the potion.

"More importantly, however, you must not look for Sirius Black. He has escaped from Azkaban and the Ministry of Magic is doing their best to find him. It is their job, not yours, to put him back to his rightful place."

Remus bowed his head in silence like a scolded schoolboy. Suddenly, he looked back up at the older man, who was now unsticking a lemon drop from its wrapper.

"Sir, why have you come to see me? Surely, surely you didn't know that I was looking for--?"

"You see, Remus, I had a hunch that you were going to look for Sirius Black. It is quite a shock, to find out that an old school friend has escaped from the most guarded prison in Britain. So, I guessed that you were going to look for him. I had a house elf follow you since this morning. Once you arrived in this alley, it got frightened and reported back to me.

"But this is not the matter that I have come to discuss. You know as well as I do what Black is capable of doing. So, I have come to ask you a favor. Will you become my new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?"

Remus stared at his professor in shock.

"But—but why would you want ME? You, of all people, Albus, know why I cannot accept a post as teacher. Think of the danger the students will be in! And the Wolfsbane Potion was only brewed for me this once, as a special request. I will not have the protection anymore! And I can hardly escape to the Shrieking Shack when a student is bound to notice my absence every full moon! Albus, how could you even think--?"

Dumbledore raised his hand to silence Remus.

"I have taken into consideration everything you have just said. The students will not know of your…illness if you take the potion every month. I have a potion's master at Hogwarts. Severus Snape will brew the potion for you."

Remus again stared at Dumbledore, and then burst out laughing.

"Snape! Albus, this is even more ridiculous than anything you've said so far! Severus Snape? Brew a potion for me to drink? Of course, he'd love a chance to poison me, but Albus; surely you know what his aims are…?"

"I trust Severus completely. He did not offer to make the potion, but will make it if I ask him to. He will not poison you."

"Well— I -- I mean, if I could have the potion, then of course I would be honored to take the job--"

Dumbledore smiled.

"Excellent! Will you come up with me to the castle now? Or have you other things to take care of before September 1st?"

"I shouldn't risk it now, Prof—Albus. I am…about to change soon, so I need to get up to the Shrieking Shack in thirty minutes time…and I think I need some time to think about…about my new job. Thank you very much for the offer. I will take the train to Hogwarts."

"Alright, then we shall part here. Don't forget what I said about Black, Remus."

Remus stared once more at his professor, who smiled and with a CRACK, disappeared. Remus was left standing in the dark corners of the alley.


	2. What They Should Have Said

_FLASHBACK_

_"They do seem happy, don't they Padfoot?"_

"_Kind of makes you feel left out, eh, Moony?"_

"_Not really…it's just different. James doesn't joke around as much as he used to and he doesn't hex people just for fun. And Lily isn't as serious about school work and laughs a lot more. So, in a way, I do feel kind of left out. Prongs is getting along just fine with a great girl, and here I am, waiting for the next full moon."_

"_Don't kid yourself mate, you know you could get a girl if you really wanted to."_

_Remus paused and looked up from his reading of Advanced Numerical Studies- A Professional Guide to Arithmancy._

"_Well, what about you? Girls practically hang off you and bow down to your feet. What's holding you back from getting one?"_

_Sirius looked down at the notes he was copying down sadly and sighed dramatically. _

"…_I already have someone I like."_

_Remus burst out laughing, "No way mate! The Gryffindor Sex God has a first love? Well, 'fess up!"_

_At Remus' reaction, Sirius looked more regretful._

"…_I'd rather not. Sorry Moony, but it's a secret I think I'll take to my grave."_

"_Che. You're no fun."_

_Sirius looked up in surprise._

"…_You're not gonna try and figure out who it is?"_

"_Nah…if you say it's secret, it's secret."_

_Sirius did not go back to his notes. He simply stared at Remus with a bewildered expression, wondering why the prefect had given up so easily. _

"_Still…do you mind if I tell you my first love?"_

_Sirius' eyes widened._

"_What the hell Remus! Of course not mate! Can't believe you've been keeping it this whole time! Ha! Moony, in love!"_

"_Yes, it is a bit unbelievable, isn't it? Well, my first love is still going strong, even if it is a bit one-sided. Hopefully he will reciprocate soon."_

"_Yeah, sure he wi—wait a sec…he?"_

_Without another word, Moony leaned over across the table and pressed his lips against Padfoot's. Sirius felt a shiver in his spine, but he also felt hot and sweaty. He began to wonder how much wider his eyes could get before slipping into a state of complete bliss. _

_So this is what I would have missed…next time, I'll be sure to tell him…_

A/N: Sorry, but I've been getting really confused as to where to lead this story, so I decided to start with a flashback and go from there. Schoolwork hell. Enough said. And I also know that Lupin wouldn't be this brave, but I could kind of imagine Sirius getting shy and fidgety around the subject of him and Moony so yes, Moony has made the first move.


End file.
